The Young and Defenseless
by Bittermahogany
Summary: A look of Harry Potter's life on his first days of Kindergarten.


Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were talking about him again. Harry knew because they kept saying 'it' and 'the freak'. Dudley, who hadn't learned his cousin's name yet, knew that they were talking about him too, and wouldn't stop whispering about how, "Hey, freak, you're in big trouble."

He didn't do anything wrong, honest. It was the second week of Kindergarten and he was happy because he didn't have to spend all day with the Dursley's anymore and he just learned his name. Harry Potter. For two weeks he didn't know why his teacher called him, "hairy." But they were learning to write their names yesterday and there it was, laid out on his desk to copy and rewrite. Harry Potter.

He wrote it everywhere, to the very edges of the paper, on his desk, wrote it until he had wetness in his eyes but no leaking tears, and when the teacher came to ask what's wrong, he froze. The Dursleys would always yell at him for crying until he learned not to and so he sniffed miserably and said nothing. He didn't have to though, the teacher looked at his desk, at his paper and proudly said, "Good job Harry."

And then looked at him with such worry when Harry cried outright. Dudley wasn't in his class for Kindergarten and Harry was glad of that because Dudley would surely tell on him. The teacher seemed to like Harry and at recess he made a friend, a boy the same age as him named Daniel that liked collecting broken toys. They hung out in the little library that Dudley never visited because he said it made his brain hurt.

All in all Harry was having fun at Kindergarten and according to the teacher he never did wrong. So he didn't understand why Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were whispering furiously about him as if he did something wrong. He did all the chores and he brought home good grades with stickers and smiley faces, though they never looked at them, there was no reason for them to look at him so hatefully.

"Freak." Uncle Vernon shouted, "Come here right now." His round face was not red and there were no veins sticking out so Harry thought he was not in serious trouble.

"Yes sir." Harry said obediently and stepped away from Dudley's immature 'oooh.' Nervously he looked at his uncle, maybe he did not know Harry's name, maybe freak was just a poorly chosen substitute. Harry thought this was unlikely but the alternative was too much for his young mind to fathom and so Harry nervously spoke up, "My name is Harry."

Uncle Vernon seemed vaguely amused at this, "Finally learned your name freak?" Uncle Vernon shook his large head, his mustache quivering, "Doesn't matter. Now I've gotten a call from your school."

Harry's heart sunk, a feeling like coldness sweeping against his stomach. The teacher said he was proud of Harry.

"The teacher says you've been doing well." Harry quickly glanced at Uncle Vernon's face before once again taking inventory of the floor, he felt relieved but when he looked at his uncle's and aunt's face, they weren't smiling.

"Trying to outdo Diddykins are we?" Aunt Petunia said in her disapproving tone, the only tone Harry was allowed to hear. "Well we won't have it, we'll have you know Vernon is an esteemed member of the school board. That teacher will be fired for his insolence."

Harry's head popped up at that. His favorite teacher, fired because of him. Dudley was eating this up, putting on fake crocodile teachers he learned to master a few weeks back. He sniffed and warbled, "He bullies me mom, in the playground; last week he stole my candy."

Which was untrue, if anything the opposite, and Harry wanted to say it, wanted to tell them he was lying cheater but Harry had long learned never to say anything bad about Dudley.

As it is Uncle Vernon's face turned red and Aunt Petunia swept Dudley into a hug, not noticing the evil smirk her 'innocent child' sent Harry's way.

"That's it, the freak is getting no dinner tonight." Uncle Vernon grabbed Harry's skinny arm and dragged him to his cupboard. Harry yelled and kicked and tried to reason but he was shoved on his cot, hitting the back wall with a thunk that left him wondering if he was going to have bruises. he heard the clicks of the locks and huddled around himself, feeling decidedly not happy at all.

"My name is Harry!" He yelled uselessly but from the sound of it the Dursleys had already moved to the kitchen, the smell of Aunt Petunia's cooking wafting in from the slot in the door and leaving Harry feeling starved.

The next day the teacher was still there, which had Harry relieved but he did not say anything to Harry or acknowledged Harry at all even though he raised his hand. During recess Daniel avoided him, the boy had a bruise on his left shoulder he said he got from an accident but Dudley made it clear it was him. He didn't blame him. If he could get away from Dudley or any of the Dursleys he would.

But he was trapped and he knew going to an adult wasn't the solution, not like the teachers said it would. For the next few weeks every friend Harry made or could potentially make was scared off and his teacher was eventually replaced because of a "better job offer." Harry wasn't dumb, he knew the Dursleys did it, that the Dursleys would follow him for the rest of his life.

He knew he was alone so long as he had Dudley for a cousin. He knew as much as he hoped for someone to take him away that he'd still be too freakish for someone normal to love.

Harry Potter learned his name on the second week of Kindergarten. By the fourth he learned that he would never have friends as long as he lived with the Dursleys and he knew he'd be living with the Dursleys for a long time, maybe longer than he could make real friends.


End file.
